


Going Public

by Rei382



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-02-28 00:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13259340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei382/pseuds/Rei382
Summary: For the past few weeks Ed had the annoying feeling that people just won't stop looking at him. When he learns why, his mind is set on one thing - make those ridiculous, obviously dead wrong rumors about him and Mustang, out of all people, go away.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a gift through the FMA Secret Santa event on Tumblr

Having that tingly, annoying feeling of someone looking at him, Ed turned his eyes, just in time to see a few sergeants’ faces turning away from him; he could swear he saw them smiling, too.

This was not the first time.

Of course, being the former Fullmetal Alchemist, he was accustomed to people staring at him; but as the years passed and the Promised Day fight was slowly left to the pages of the history books, and people got used to his presence in the headquarters, he received less and less looks like that. But for the past month or so, it seemed like there were more and more cases of people staring at him, thinking he wouldn’t notice. This group of young soldiers were the fifth _this week_. And it was only Wednesday. This was getting ridiculous.

He’d had enough.

Not very known for his grace or subtle approach, he changed his course and walked directly towards the group. They kept glancing at him with growing fear on their faces. He probably would have found that incredibly amusing had he not been so annoyed.

“Do I have anything stuck on my face?” he asked as he was close enough. Immediately they all looked away. He kept stating at them until one of the sergeants – a tall redhead, looking no older than twenty – finally looked up to face him.

“Uh – no sir, no,” he said, and Ed could swear he could not have looked any guiltier.

“Then why were you staring at me?”

“I – uh – no one was staring at you, sir.”

Ed mentally rolled his eyes at the formal addressing. He never really gotten used to being an actual officer. Of course, as a State Alchemist, he joined the military directly into Major rank, but that was only a formality. It was only a month ago, less than a year after returning from his leave to help his brother recover, that he received a Lieutenant Colonel rank. He didn’t really like it; but then he really didn’t like anything about the military. But they were offering him an interesting job, with hard-to-resist pay and almost-unheard-of benefits, and he didn’t have it inside him to say no to that. Especially since he was looking into moving back to the city anyway, after Al recovered and discovered his romantic feelings towards their favorite mechanic lady and therefore no longer needed Ed nursing him. He felt awkward hanging around those two, even though they always told him he was more than welcome, but Ed knew that deep inside, they both wanted their privacy. And he could not blame them. He needed to find a new purpose in life now that he had achieved his goal he’d had since he was eleven years old. It was time for a new direction, and it seemed like renewing his contract, with some adjustments, was just as good a choice as any. Probably even the best one he had, considering all the benefits. Surprisingly enough, most of the time he didn’t hate it. That did not mean he could ever get used to people calling him ‘sir’ or by his rank, as if his mother never gave him a name.

“I’m pretty damn sure I saw you all turning the second I looked at you. Now, what is it?”

“Nothing, sir, nothing. We are very sorry,” the redhead somehow managed to sound even guiltier. “Sir,” he added as an afterthought.

Ed narrowed his eyes at the sergeant, and, as he didn’t say anything more, he glared at the others. He gave up when they all just looked guiltily away from him. “Whatever. Don’t let me catch you staring at me, I don’t appreciate it. Got something to say? Say it.”

“Yes, sir!” they replied in unison.

Ed turned from them and walked away. He was probably no more than a few feet away, just after he turned into another corridor, when he suddenly heard the sergeant’s voice behind him, only barely audible but just enough so he could be sure of what he’d heard.

“I swear he fucked his way to that rank of his, no way he could legitimately get that high up the ladder with that attitude.”

Ed paused. He was just about to turn back and – and punch them – thinking he’d do something like _that_ – thinking that –

“Heard he’s been getting all those favors from that Brigadier General. That Mustang guy.”

He heard laughter. “Probably been fucking him for years. Heard he was under him when he was a teen, too.”

“Ewe! Think it’s been going since – “

“Everyone knows. Seen the way they bicker?”

“Swear I can hear them all the way to our office to when they have a lover’s quarrel.”

_Everyone knows_. Ed didn’t stay to listen what other ‘proofs’ those – idiots – had that he and… and… _Mustang_ , of all people! He resumed his walking, almost stomping his way to the office. He needed to talk to Mustang and he needed to talk to him _right now_ and end this bullshit.

He stormed into the office a few moments later, and felt everyone looking in his direction.

“Hey Boss? Is everything alright?” Ed could hear Havoc asking, could hear the worry and hesitant in his voice, but he couldn’t care less about it now. He had more pressing matters to take care of. He crossed the office and reached Mustang’s door, not ever bothering with knocking before he threw the door open. He stormed into the room, ready to yell at that bastard – to threaten – to _promise_ him that if he had _anything_ to do with those rumors then he’d _regret any second of it_ –

But the office was dark and empty. The chair was pushed slightly from the desk, deserted.

Now he was both angry and frustrated; he couldn’t even take it out on the bastard because _he wasn’t ever there_. Wasn’t he supposed to be at the office by eight? It was already ten minutes past eight (Ed ignored for a moment the fact that meant that he was ten minutes late to show up to work). He was both starting the stupidest rumor ever _and_ slacking?

He was so going to make him pay for that! He was –

“Big boss has a meeting today, won’t be back ‘till like, after lunch. Something big, I heard.” Havoc was right behind him, one elbow leaning on the wheel of his wheel chair as he was looking at him, curious. “Did he – uh, probably silly question – did he do anything to you?”

Ed glared down at his coworker. “Did he _do_ anything? Yes, that’s a silly question. Fucking stupid. Apparently, he did something to make people think – that – that we – I mean – “ he stuttered, and could feel his face turning red. Damn his stupid genes, never being able to hide anything from his face! Him and Al, always showing everything they’ve got, like a goddamned open book. At least Al was lucky enough to control his temper, but Ed never really learned that skill. He turned his face away, now staring at the door frame instead. “Apparently, people think that we, uh, we’re a couple, or something. I dunno! Something stupid.”

There was a moment of silence between them. Ed finally felt calm enough to turn his face back towards the other man. He could see him watching him, curious, almost… _surprised_?

It took Ed only a second to realize that _Havoc thought he and Mustang were dating too_. “Shit, not you, too!” he exclaimed, and didn’t even let Havoc reply to that before he stormed out of the office.

He was going to wait. Just until lunch. And then he was going to solve this, whatever it took.

*

Not even anger could make Ed skip food; especially not since today was Tuesday, and Tuesday was pizza day, and there was no way in _hell_ Ed was going to miss that. Tasty food always made him feel better; and the fact that he spent all morning in relative solitude at the library, researching the elements on that array he was supposed to find, helped calming him, too.

That did not mean he forgot he has a very close talk to do with his commanding officer. He finished his lunch, put his tray away, and headed back towards the office – where, according to Havoc, stupid Mustang should already be.

Calmer this time, he made his way and entered. Absentmindedly he nodded in acknowledgment at his coworkers welcoming him back and, again, walked towards Mustang’s door. He noticed the weird way Havoc and Fuery were looking at him, but chose to ignore them for now. It will be better, anyway, if he just dragged Mustang out to tell them that it was all lies. That there was _nothing_ there. That all that bullshit about them was completely made up. An outright _lie_.

He knocked on the door, doing his best to control himself as the anger was building inside his chest again.

" Come in!” Came the call, and Ed took a deep, calming breath before he pushed the handle and opened the door. He found his target sitting there, unconcerned, not even looking at him but turned sideways from his desk with a pile of papers – nearly large enough to be a full length novel – held in hands right in front of his eyes. On the smaller desk next to him sat Hawkeye, straight and perfectly presented as always.

He cleared his throat, trying to calm himself down. “Uh, Mustang, I need to talk to you about something,” he said and hoped that the effort he put into not yelling this was not too audible in his strained voice. Mustang gestured to him to continue, not even lowering the papers. Ed glanced at Hawkeye. “Alone.”

Finally, Mustang turned, giving him a look over before he nodded at Hawkeye. She nodded back and got off her chair. “I’ll go get us some coffee,” she said, and walked away, smiling softly at Ed as she passed by him. She closed the door gently behind her.

Mustang now turned his chair towards Ed and lowered the papers to the table. “Thank you. I thought I might fall asleep if I had to read another line of –“

“Why are you telling everyone that I – that we – “ he was blushing again, he knew it. He could feel his face burning and now he couldn’t even blame that on anger. He felt suddenly stupid to come here and claim that Mustang was spreading those rumors; he was the second half of that rumor. It made no sense. But just a second ago he was so sure, because what on earth could make people think something like that, if no one told them? He felt confused. Confused and angry. And embarrassed. Why did it have to be _Mustang_ , of all people? He took a breath and let it out, filling his heart with courage as he filled his lungs with air. “People think that you and I are – in some kind of relationship.”

“Oh?” was the other man’s reaction; but he didn’t look surprised at all. Maybe Ed was right after all and it really _was_ that bastard who started that horrid rumor. “But aren’t we?”

Ed frowned, his temper rising to dangerous levels again. “What –“

"You are my subordinate, I am your commanding officer. We _are_ in ‘some sort of relationship’.”

Ed let out an annoyed grunt. He felt like punching Mustang right in his face; he could swear he was hiding a smirk, too. “That’s _not_ what I meant.”

Now Ed _knew_ Mustang was smirking. He wasn’t even really hiding it anymore. “So what, exactly, did you mean, Fullmetal?”

Ed rolled his eyes at the use of his old title. He looked around nervously, holding his left arm with his right hand. “People think that we are in a relationship-relationship. You – you know what I mean.”

"I see,” Mustang said. Was he going to admit it now? He’d better admit that it was all his fault and then _maybe_ Ed would consider not choking the reason out of him. “And what, exactly, do you want me to do about that?”

Ed wanted to tear out his hair in frustration. Why did he have to play it so _dumb_? Mustang was many things, but even Ed would admit that an idiot was not one of them. Most of the time anyway. “What do you mean? Tell them that they’re wrong!”

"So you would like me to go around the headquarters and tell everyone that you, the former Fullmetal Alchemist, and I, your commanding officer, are not dating. Am I correct?”

"Hell yeah you are correct! Now get up and –“

"And you believe that would be a smart move?”

"Of course it would be! They should _know_ –“

"And going around and telling anyone who perhaps have not heard the rumor by now and let them hear it first hand from the people involved is the right way. Trying to convince those who already believe it that it’s wrong, just because I, the main subject of said rumor, have taken the time and effort to tell them that it is not true.”

"Well – yes!” Ed said, but he had to admit – silently, in his own mind – that the bastard did have a point. He pouted and looked away. “Why, do you have a better idea?”

"You’ve said that everyone thinks you and I are dating, right?”

"That’s what I’ve said! Weren’t you listening?”

"Well then. The way I see it, we only have one option.”

Ed turned his eyes back to his commanding officer. He had a very bad feeling about this. “Which is?”

Now there really was no denying the smirk smeared on Mustang’s face. Did he have to be so goddamn annoying?

"Since everyone already knows, we could just as well go public about it.”

For a long moment all Ed could do was stare at his commanding officer in disbelief. He blinked, but nothing changed. Not even that idiotic smirk on his even more idiotic face. “E-excuse me?” he stuttered eventually. “Go public?”

“Why, yes.” Apparently it was possible for that smirk to get even wider. And stupider. Mustang straightened up in his chair, now leaning backwards as he was looking directly at Ed. His dark eyes fixed on Ed’s, a mysterious, ominous flame burning at their depth. “If everyone already knows, then there is no point to be secretive about it anymore.”

“Secretive about _what_ , exactly?” Ed’s anger was building again. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You – you don’t imply that – are you fucking _delusional_?”

Roy crossed his arms over his chest. “Not at all. I am very sane. And much more realistic than you are, apparently.”

“So what the fuck do you mean by – “

“I _mean_ , that we will pretend that we are, in fact, dating.”

Ed frowned and shook his head, his mouth slightly open in shock. “ _What_? No! I don’t know how to tell you this but there is _nothing_ between us and there _will never be_! Now I don’t know in what kind of – of _fantasy world_ you’re living in – “

Ed stopped mid-sentence at the look on Mustang’s face. There was something about it – the way his mouth was just slightly crooked, that sparkle hiding in his eyes. It was unsettling.

“I said _pretend_. I do not delude myself that you and I are leading any kind of relationship other than a purely professional one. However, it seems that the rest of this headquarters, for whatever reason, thinks otherwise. You want the kids to lose their interest? Stop piquing their interest. Let them see it is not a big deal. I don’t know about you but I have been hearing about this for a long while now, and I believe it is way too far gone for us to stop quietly. We just need to make people lose their interest in it. Take out all the juiciness of it and ruin it for those drama seeking leeches.”

Ed blinked, trying to wrap his mind around what Mustang was saying. He couldn’t make sense of it. “You mean – your plan to make people realize how fucking wrong they are is – by proving them they’re right?” It definitely made zero sense.

“Precisely.”

Ed waited. Waited for the other man to burst out laughing and say he was joking and then say something about that terrified look on Ed’s face – because he sure felt terrified right now – or, or how easy it was to fool him and call him an idiot. But none of that happened; instead, Mustang just kept looking at him, with that slightly crooked smile, and Ed realized that – this was no joke. Mustang was serious.

“You are insane,” Ed concluded. There was no other way to describe what was happening. His commanding officer was going insane, which was a shame, because as far as Ed remembered his plan was to become a Fuhrer and make Amestris better, and even though Ed would never admit it out loud he thoughts that if anyone had a chance it this – that was Mustang. But it was all gone now. An insane person who does not know the difference between imagination and reality cannot lead a country, no matter how promising he seemed at first. Amestris was doomed.

And so was his reputation.

“We should just tell people that they are wrong. Dead wrong. You do realize this reflects more badly on you than on me, right? I mean sure now everyone thinks I’m some kind of a – of a whore – that I got my rank by letting you f- fuck me but that would make _you_ a – “

“And what exactly do you think would change if we deny it?” Mustang cut into Ed’s words. He could feel his face burning – he had never thought he will end up saying the word _fuck_ in relation to Mustang in a way that was not completely swearing. He swallowed, trying not to think about it – not about what the people said, not about what was implied, and not about the way Mustang was still looking at him, with that dark flame in his eyes and that smirk of his.

“People will understand how stupid they are and realize the truth?” he replied, but he wasn’t all that convinced anymore. He did not intend that to come out as a question; it was supposed to be a statement.

“People already think we are dating. If we deny, it might, and probably will, have the opposite effect. And they will think that we know it is wrong – which is, I believe, where all those rumors about how you got your rightfully-earned rank comes from. But if, instead, we _show_ our relationship that would show that there is nothing to hide. We are just two consenting adults who enjoy each other’s company. Nothing to be excited about. Understand?”

“ _I_ am not _consenting_ to _any_ of this!” Ed gave up the fight with his bloodstream to prevent it from going straight to his face. All that talk about – _we_ , _our, us_ – it was too much for him. How did Mustang manage to look so calm about it? He tried to wrap his mind around the other man’s words, trying not to focus on the – disturbing parts. He could, now that it was being pointed out, see how denying will not solve the issue. In that case, ignoring would have been his second choice – but that seemed to be working not so well, considering how he was not even aware of those rumors until today but everyone else seemed to know, and apparently, it only made it get worse. Which only left the third option, presented by Mustang. His right foot started jumping uncontrollably.

What if – what if that really was their only option? What if really the only way to at least stop people from staring at him like they did, from saying all those horrid things about him – and about Mustang – was to make everyone else believe that they had nothing to be ashamed of?

He placed his right hand on his knee, trying to prevent it from jumping. It didn’t really help, but he left it there anyway. “Okay – uh – say we did this. How are we going to make people know that it’s not true? I mean – I don’t think I want people to think that – uh – I’m in a relationship, or something like that, when it’s not true, you know?” He wasn’t sure how coherent he sounded, or how much sense exactly his words were making; but this whole thing made no sense at all, and so, he was just trying his best.

He could see Mustang’s smile broadening a little. Almost unnoticeably, but enough for Ed, at his current oversensitive state, to notice. “Why do you care so much? Is there anyone else in the office you would prefer not think you were unavailable?”

“No! Uh – _no_ , I just, I don’t want people to – what the fuck does it matter? I just don’t want people to think things about me that’s all!”

“Fine, fine. Well, first let’s get everyone off our backs. Then we’ll think of a way to undo this rumor in the first place. How does that sound to you?”

Ed thought for a moment. Pretty damn stupid, that’s how it all sounded to him. He still didn’t see much sense in all of this – but he really had no better ideas, and he could not – he would not – walk another day though this building with people whispering behind his back. He’d rather them say those things right to his face.

At least then he could punch them.

“ _Fine_.” He said, and had a feeling he will regret this, sooner rather than later. His leg stopped jumping. He looked up to see Mustang was still staring right at him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What do we do?”


	2. Chapter 2

Roy found himself smiling – rather stupidly, he admitted to himself every time he accidentally saw his own reflection in one of the mirror-like items in his office (or even worse, during every trip to the restroom) – throughout the entire morning. Even when he was going through his regular, boring paperwork that silly smile had been there, plastered all over his face. He knew he was being ridiculous. Looking at things objectively, he had absolutely nothing to be happy about. His career – what he had been working on throughout the majority of his adult life – was at jeopardy. A stain like that could not only prevent his future and much anticipated promotion, but might even kick him out of the military completely, possibly with a criminal record to add icing to the cake.

The truth was that ever since he started noticing those rumors, around 3 months ago, Roy had been working his mind around ways to solve that issue, but every solution he came up with seemed worthless.

Until his little problem stormed into his office today in all its glory, and it hit him. If he played his cards right he might even hit two birds with one stone.

After all, when he suddenly had an opening in his office for a specialist in alchemical reactions there was only one person he think of to fill it. One person he could trust, one person he knew would be talented enough, one person he knew might actually _need_ that job. He couldn’t deny that the decision to send out that letter was not one hundred percent professional. He couldn’t deny that, after three years of merely hearing about him through the infrequent letters that came from the countryside, typically a few weeks after the sending date, he was curious to know how things ended up.

He knew that Alphonse had gotten better. He knew that he was more or less healthy now, and is in a very happy relationship with the mechanic girl. He also knew that Edward was there, too, and that he was making his younger brother very worried.

At first the younger Elric wrote to him to update him about his own condition, as Roy had requested when the two young men left Central; but after that it became a habit of them to update each other and just keep in contact. But a few months into their correspondence Alphonse had stopped writing about himself (and about how Winry was taking good care of him and how he thinks he might be developing feelings for her) and shifted to writing more and more about his brother. It seemed that even though on the outside he was showing that all was okay, and he might have thought that he was fooling everyone around him, it did not work on Alphonse. Alphonse, it seemed, could read right through his façade. At least according to the letters. It seemed that Edward felt lost. Alphonse feared that he could not find his place in Resenbool anymore, after spending so long travelling, running away from it. It was later on, when Alphonse admitted he started dating Winry, that he confided in Roy that he fears he might have something to do with that feeling of his brother. He thought his brother was feeling uneasy around them, he feared that he was making him uncomfortable. To himself, Roy had to admit that he could see how that concern might be true. He knew Edward well enough to know he would never want to stand in the way of his younger brother’s happiness – even on the account of his own well-being. He did not tell this to Alphonse, instead reassuring him that he was sure he and Winry were doing their best to not make him feel like a third wheel.

All that while he was trying to think of ways he could help solve the situation, but it was not an easy one. He knew Edward could no longer use his alchemy – and therefore the most obvious option of offering him to renew his State Alchemist contract was taken off the table. Not to mention that during his entire time working under Roy, he made it clear he was not doing it because he liked it, or even because he wanted to. He was only using the advantages the military had given him, and it was clear that as soon as he no longer needed said advantages he will part ways with the system and find himself somewhere else – probably making the world a better place. But with his alchemy gone, Roy could see how someone like the Fullmetal Alchemist could find himself at loss; but he always figured it will only last for a short while. After all, Edward was so much more than a brilliant alchemist. He was intelligent, and talented, and he was a pure scientist; the kind that kept going out of pure curiosity – and the kind that was smart enough to know where to look.

It was when Alphonse’s most disturbing letter so far – the one where he seemed so lost, so heartbroken when he confided in Roy that Edward had offered to go away – that Roy got the notice that he will have an additional position in his office, to be manned at his will.

He felt sorry for Alphonse, he really did; but his heart went for Edward. It was probably very hard for him if he offered to leave his brother’s side. He knew him well enough to know that he would have given everything he had for his sibling. In fact, he already did just that; he gave up his most valuable skill for him, and he would’ve given his life if needed. The one before last thing he would want to do was to leave Alphonse. The last thing would be to stand in his way. Roy had a feeling he didn’t have a plan when he offered to leave.

So he knew there was only one thing he could think about doing. He sent out the offer the following morning, and waited.

He knew it was a long shot; Edward hated the military and had taken every opportunity to make sure everyone around him knew it. But Roy knew he had to at the very least try. He had cared for the two boys for too long to give up now, and he knew better than to assume anything. Still, he was surprised when, almost two weeks later, Hawkeye announced that Edward Elric was there to meet him. He was even more surprised at how the elder Elric looked when he stepped through his door. He was taller than he remembered, but that was to be expected – after all, it had been a few years, and the last time Roy had seen him, Elric was clearly still within growing age. But he also had a very different aura to him. He was more mature, more man-like than boy-like; and oh, was he one handsome man. He still wore his hair long, but no longer in that messy braid of his. It was now held in a loose ponytail, with his shorter bangs hanging around his face, just above his ears – giving his face the perfect frame to show his square, masculine jawline. He even seemed to have toned his body more, and now, with his right arm not being metallic, he seemed more… even. Now that Roy ever cared for his automail; but he also never thought about him in any way that made it any of his interest.

Until that day.

It certainly didn’t help that when their eyes met, the flame he remembered seeing in them ever since the first time he’d met him as a broken ten year old child was still there, but with a slight change, that back then he wasn’t so sure he interpreted correctly. As months went by, and they spent more time together, he realized that his initial assumption was probably right.

That was why, when the rumors started, he was not surprised at all. Surely he was not the only one who noticed, and others were bound to notice the little game he was playing on his side, even if the intended recipient of that game did not. At least now he finally started to notice. True, he was very boldly opposing it, and even more strongly trying to deny there was any grain of truth to them, but Roy knew better.

This is why he thought his plan was genius. He did not lie to Fullmetal about having no better choice. Maybe the young man did not spend his adolescence years in middle school, but Roy did, and it was no secret how kids that age were: they were gossiping, and they were looking for any piece of interesting information to cling to, and they were making up things to make themselves look better, or someone else look worse. Roy had to learn the hard way how to handle all that kind of unwanted attention, as he was an easy target, with his parents gone, and with the way his brought up ever after. Denying, ignoring, none of that ever worked. Only joining in on the jokes and self-ridiculing made the bullies leave him alone. In high school, that changed, and his aunt’s profession became a source of envy for his male classmates who once bullied him.

His plan will also allow him to be clearer with the young man, and see if his horrified façade was just that; or if there was something more that he was trying to hide underneath it.

The day drew slowly to an end, and finally came the hour when Roy could leave whatever was left from today’s work for tomorrow and get up from his chair. He packed his things, along with the few documents he planned to work on at home and walked outside towards the main office, where his crew were also getting ready to go home. He glanced around, for a short moment feared he was too late – but then he could see the blond hair he was looking for hiding behind a tall pile of books. He smirked, and confidently made his way directly towards him. He knew that all the eyes in the office, except for a very stubborn pair of golden ones, were directed at him.

Perfect.

He closed the distance, and leaned forward when he reached his destination, placing his elbow on the pile of books and letting his chin rest on his opened palm as looked down at the grumpy young man. His smirk broadened. “Are you ready?” he asked.

It was no surprise when the younger man lifted his gaze at the blunt question. Seas of gold were looking at him, questioning, suspicious. “Ready?” came the question, and Roy could hear the uncertainty of it, could hear how it seemed that Edward almost didn’t want to ask – or, didn’t want to know the answer, anyway.

Roy twisted his features into the most innocent form they could hold. “To leave. We’re having a dinner tonight, did you forget?”

Edward’s eyes narrowed at him, and then he rolled them, and looked just about ready to tell Roy to shove his dinner up somewhere very intimate; but he probably decided against it, and went for something more subtle instead. “Uh… what dinner?” his voice seemed to challenge Roy, to dare him to go through with what he knew he was doing. Roy knew, even when the plan first formed in his mind, that this will not be easy.

He looked up at the ceiling for a short moment, letting out a thoughtful sound, before he looked down at Edward again. “I was thinking maybe… a steakhouse? How does that sound?”

By the look on the other man’s face, steakhouse sounded great. His eyes went a little wider, a little flame blooming inside their amber. He could see Edward’s Adam’s apple moving at the base of his neck as he swallowed. When he spoke, his voice was low, meant for Roy only. “That, uh, was not what I was asking.”

In response, Roy leaned even closer, and lowered his voice as well. He knew exactly how them whispering to each other would look like to an outside viewer; it was not a part of his plan, but contributed to the cause regardless. “I know,” he said, and allowed his smirk to broaden. “But we had an agreement. You want people to get off your back, don’t you?” he waited, and straightened back up a little, speaking at his regular volume. “If you don’t feel like it, we could do Xianese, too. Or,” he paused, a thought popping up in his mind. He grinned. “I could cook something for you. Not trying to blow my own horn, but I’ve been told that my casserole is – “

“ _No_ ,” Edward cut into his words, looking almost horrified. “Uhm – a steakhouse is perfectly fine. Could use a steak and maybe some fries right about now,” he said, and then started fiddling with the items on his desk. It looked like he was trying to put them in order, but in Roy’s opinion, he was just making more mess out of it. “Just, uh, give me a moment, I’ll wrap things up and we can go, okay?”

Roy’s lips twitched into a victorious grin. He straightened up, taking one step away from the desk and rearranging his uniform. “No problem. Take your time, dear,” he said, and prepared himself for the backlash; but, surprisingly enough, it did not come. Instead Edward packed his things quietly, stuffing them into his backpack before his stood up and shouldered it. He was lowering his head the entire time, his blond hair, tied in a ponytail, resting on his shoulder, and the shorter bangs that weren’t long enough to be half covering his face. That was not enough to hide the adorable flush on his cheeks, whether from anger or embarrassment Roy was not sure. Edward glanced in his direction, and without saying a word started walking towards the door.

Roy followed him, still smirking. He could feel the stares following them both, but he did not give the lookers the satisfaction of looking back, or showing any kind of discomfort, or, worse – pleasure. He wondered, as he stepped through the door and allowed it to close behind him, if Edward was going to make a run for it. But as soon as the door was shut, the young man stopped, so suddenly Roy nearly bumped into him. Surprised, Roy looked at Edward questioningly, and blinked. “Yes?”

“What was that all about?” the blond demanded.

Roy arched his eyebrow. “I thought we agreed that our course of action would be to convince everybody that we are in a relationship.”

“Yes – yeah, I _know_ ,” Edward moved slightly, turning his head to look away for a few seconds, as if gathering the courage to look at Roy again. “But did you – did you have to make it so _obvious_?”

“If we want people to believe us, we should make it believable – “

“Did the fact that we are doing this _because people already believe it_ managed to escape your mind?”

“Of course not,” Roy replied, and resumed his walking, assuming Edward would follow. “But I think _you_ might have forgotten that we chose this method since the reason people keep speculating is that if we were having some kind of a non-professional relationship between us, and we were hiding it, then we were doing something wrong and were ashamed of it.” He confidently walked through Central Headquarters’ corridors, nodding in acknowledgment to his acquaintances every now and then. “And therefore, being obvious about it is more or less the whole point.”

Roy could _sense_ Edward sulking behind him; but he could also hear the uneven steps, just a little behind him, and knew that just he thought, the blond was following him. “Fine. Whatever. But – don’t _ever_ call me ‘dear’ again.”

Roy’s smirk broadened a bit. “No? What about…” he paused, thoughtful for a few seconds. “’Love’? Would that be better?”

“Fuck – _no_!”

“What about ‘honey’ then?”

“ _No_ pet names! I fucking hate them.”

Roy snickered. “That’s just too bad. I love them.”

“Well – you can shove them up your ass for all I care. _No pet names_. That’s final.”

Roy inhaled deeply and let the air out in a sigh. “We can discuss this over dinner.”

The steps behind him grew faster and a second later Edward was walking right beside him. “What do you mean? What dinner?”

Roy glanced at the other man. “I didn’t know you were so old you forget things moments after they happened, Fullmetal. I thought we established we were going to a steakhouse?”

“That’s a nickname too, don’t use it. I hate it even more than the others. I’m not Fullmetal anymore,” Edward said, and there was something about his tone that made Roy, just for a split of a second, regret being so mean. “I am _not_ old. If any you’re the geezer between us. We are not – really going to have a dinner together, do we?”

“Why not? If we are going to pretend to be a couple, we should go out on dates,” they have reached the main gate to the headquarters, and Roy pushed it open. He moved slightly to the side, allowing Edward exit before him. He closed it back behind both of them, and then continued walking towards his car, parked in its usual spot – right next to Grumman’s, only a few meters away from the gate. The perfect parking spot. “If you changed your mind about the steakhouse, we can still just go to my place and – “

“No – no going to your place,” Edward said quickly. Roy knew he wouldn’t come, and even if he did, by some kind of a miracle, agree to go to his house, Roy wouldn’t have tried anything. Not yet; not before he confirmed his suspicions, not before he received any signs that his advances were any level of welcome. But it was still amusing to see the young man get so agitated. “Steak’s fine. Whatever.”

He unlocked his car and opened the passenger’s seat door for Edward, who glared at him for a second, but got into the car regardless, before he walked around and took the driver’s seat himself. He started the engine. “Do you have any preference? For a place, I mean.”

“No, just wherever. I don’t care.” Edward replied, sounding somewhat cold. “As long as they have good food.”

Roy smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t take you to any low-grade place. I know exactly where to take you. Put on your seat belt.” Edward grunted, but did as he was told. Roy pulled the car into gear and drove.

He barely made it out of the parking spot before Edward spoke again. “We should, uh, make some ground rules.”

Roy glanced at him, and entered the main street, directing the car north in a road he knew only too well. “I agree,” he said, and smiled.

“Cool. So, uh, first one – no pet names.”

“It that negotiateable?”

“ _No_. I thought I made that clear enough.”

“Alright. We’ll get back to this one later then.”

Edward swore, and Roy took a turn left. “Second – I guess that, uh, we gonna have to have – _some_ – physical contact. So lets set this straight. No kissing. No hugging. No touching my – private areas under any circumstances – “

Roy arched his eyebrow, and tried to push the thought of touching Edward’s _private areas_ to the back of his head. “I can understand where you’re coming from, but if we do nothing of that, people might not buy it. How about this,” he said, and stopped the car at a red light. “A little hugging, when seems appropriate; no kissing with open mouths. No touching where you feel uncomfortable, but I will put my arm around your waist, every now and then.”

Edward seemed to be thinking about it for a moment. Roy resumed his driving as the light turned green. “Fine. But no hugging over five seconds.”

“Are you going to measure that?”

“Probably.”

Roy chuckled. “Alright. And we will be holding hands. When appropriate. Anything else?”

He could hear Edward grunting in annoyance next to him, but he didn’t comment on the hand holding. “Yes. No home visits. Don’t come to my home, and don’t ask me to go to yours. We only meet in public places, where everyone can see. And none of your funny moves.”

“My ‘funny moves’?”

“Yeah, you know. When you get all smooth and – never mind. Just don’t be an ass, okay?”

“Okay. But I will pick you up and drive you back when we go on dates.”

“Agreed. And no more than two dates a week.”

“Two dates a week?” Roy asked, glancing shortly at the other man. He turned the car right and slowed down, trying to remember if he should take the next left, or the one after. “That’s too little. People won’t believe this. Five.”

“Are you insane? Do you think I don’t have anything to do with my life other than play this little game? Don’t _you_ have anything else to do? Like, woah, I don’t know. Run the country or something?”

“Not yet, but I will get there. I see your point though. Four.”

“Nuh-uh. Two.”

Next left, it was for sure next left. “Let’s settle on three. One during the weekend.” He turned left.

“Two – okay, fine, whatever. Three. But you’re paying.”

“Deal.”

Roy smiled to himself. The rest of the ride was quiet, but Roy knew he could not expect anything else. At least the place he took him to was relatively close now. The drive took only five minutes of the uncomfortable silence before he pulled into a free parking spot. He barely silenced the engine before Edward unfastened his seat belt, opened the door and got out of the car. Roy looked after him, shaking his head a little as he saw him through the car’s window, standing just a step away, hands in his uniform pocket, head slightly bowed down. He looked so adorable, Roy wanted to go there and hug him; technically, according to the terms they have just agreed on, he could; but it felt wrong to execute this right now. He had no excuse other than his own want; and he was more or less sure it was not yet the time to show what he wanted. He took the key out, undid his own seat belt and stepped out of the car. He closed the door and locked the car.

He looked at Edward for a short moment, but he didn’t move from his position. He let out a sigh, giving the top of the car a little dab before he stepped away. “You’re coming?” He received a short humming sound in reply, and he assumed that meant he’d follow him. A quick glance told him he was right, and he kept walking towards the restaurant’s door. It was opened just as they reached it, and a beaming lady in a little black dress greeted them, although her smile faltered a little when right after Roy entered, Edward followed his footsteps. She resumed her happy state immediately, and asked them how many they were going to be; to which Roy replied that it’s just them. She nodded, her eyes lingering for a short moment on the rank showing on Roy’s shoulders, and directed them at a table. It was a nice, cozy table, located at the far end of the restaurant, right next to a rather large window, beyond it, a small park could be seen. A plant with wide leaves was standing on one side of it, giving it a secluded feeling and leaving only one opening for outsiders to look at it. Roy assumed, as he took his seat and gestured for Edward to take the one right in front of him, that the hostess assumed they were here on some important military related meeting. The prejudice bothered him slightly, but he assumed it was for the best. His – date – for the evening seemed incredibly uncomfortable as it was; neither of them needed more eyes spying on them before Edward grew accustomed to the idea.

Roy picked up the menu, conveniently placed in a holder at the edge of their table, casually, and handed it over to Edward with a smile. “Order whatever you want,” he said, and picked up the other one. In the meanwhile another young lady, dressed in tight black pants and a black, buttoned-up shirt that left little room for imagination, brought over two glasses of water. She gave them a short look-through, decided there was no point in even asking if they were ready to order, and left them.

“I _know_ how restaurants work,” Edward muttered. He reached for his water and downed almost the entire thing in a single sip; Roy could see his Adam’s apple rising and falling with every swallow, but his eyes never once left the menu. Roy decided not to comment, and instead turned his own attention to the menu as well, looking through the variety of dishes and drinks until he was sure he was satisfied with his decision. He looked up at Edward, who still had his own menu open in front of him; but he wasn’t looking at it anymore. Instead, his elbow was resting on top of the table, his chin placed inside his open palm as he was gazing out the window.

Roy cleared his throat shortly. “Have you decided?” he asked, and once again, only got a short ‘hmm’ in return. He gave him another second or so to elaborate, but when he remained quiet Roy raised his hand to get the waitress’s attention. She quickly walked towards them, plastering another big, fake smile on her lips.

“What can I get you?” she asked in a sweet, almost sing-song kind of voice.

Roy offered her a smile of his own. “I’ll have the Prime Rib, and Steamed Asparagus. And a glass of Rippaso, please. And Edward here would have the, uh – “

“I want the sirloin and some fries. And beer. What beers d’ya have?”

Her smile faltered a little, and she looked thoughtful for a second, before she started reciting.

“Great. Uh, any drought beer would do.”

“All right, I think I got it. Anything else?”

“Yes,” Roy said, and glanced at the menu again. “Edward, how would you feel about the Oyster Rockefeller as an appetizer?”

“Sure, whatever.”

Roy smiled at her. “And the Oyster Rockefeller,” he closed the menu and after picking up Edward’s too, handed her both.

She nodded. “Alright, I’ll be right back with your drinks,” she said, and walked away, leaving them alone again.

Edward remained quiet, his stare moves right back to the window as soon as she left. Roy picked up his glass of water, brought it to his lips, and took a sip. “Cheer up, Edward,” he said, and placed his tumbler back on the table.

“Make me,” was the reply; and Roy was tempted to take on the challenge. But not yet.

He let out a short chuckle. “The food will be here soon. I am sure that would help.”

“Whatever. I agreed on going out on dates with you, not on being happy and cheerful while we’re at them.”

Roy inhaled deeply and let the air out in a sigh. He resolved to drinking his water and waiting in silence, hoping that as the minutes would pass – and as the younger man will eat his dinner – he will feel at least a little more comfortable. The waitress came back after a few minutes, several glasses filled with various liquids carefully balanced on her tray, and in her other hand a can of cold water. She smiled at them, expressed her hope that they both enjoy their time so far, and placed the tray on their table before proceeding to refilling their water. After that she picked two of the glasses from her tray, and placed them on the table as well – the tall, rather large one right in front of Edward, and the smaller one next to Roy. She wished them enjoyment from their drinks, promised that their appetizer will be right there, and left again. Roy picked up his tumbler and brought it to his nose, closing his eyes as he inhaled the bittersweet scent of the wine. He lingered for a short moment, and then sipped it, letting the liquid fill his mouth, enjoying the rich, fruity taste of it. Across from him, Edward grabbed his glass of beer, and was slowly, but steadily, drinking it.

Roy cleared his throat, and placed the wine on the table. “I noticed you had quite a few books on your desk today. Researching something?”

He could see Edward’s eyes moving in the reflection on the window as he glanced at him. “None of your business.”

Roy’s eyebrow arched up. Alright. “How is it going with the dam case?” he asked instead. “Made any progress there?”

“Not really. Still trying to figure out how to solve the pressure problem, but I’ll get there, don’t worry.”

“I don’t, I know you’ll figure it out,” Roy said, but Edward did not reply. He moved slightly in his seat, looking down at his wine again. A heavy feeling started growing within him, that he got it all wrong. That the feeling he thought he got from the other man throughout the last year was twisted, completely off. That Edward was so flustered about the whole rumor situation because he simply hated being the center of attention, or because he hated Roy so much the idea of anyone thinking about him being involved with Roy made him sick. He felt bad about dragging him out here; he felt bad about even bringing up the whole idea to begin with.

He always prided himself on being an expert in reading other people. He was sure so he knew how to read situations. He took another sip from his wine. Was he blinded by his own feelings to be able to be so mistaken? He dwelled on that thought, and made up his mind to take Edward to his home after they eat, and just call the whole thing off. He could find an excuse, he was sure; he could find another way to make the rumors stop. Maybe he would just do what Edward wanted to do from the beginning and just declare that there was no grain of truth in them; but if before he knew that method chances of success were scarce, it was surely to become much more difficult now, after the little show he made sure to put in the office. He will have to find a solution – but if Edward suffered so much just by being next to him, he couldn’t make him do it.

The waitress came back, looking at them both a little suspiciously by now. Surely it seemed weird to her – two military men sitting together in silence in a mid-high level restaurant. Not that Roy cared that much about what the girl was thinking. She placed the appetizer between them, added a small plate for each, wished them bon appétit, and left.

Roy pushed the plate in Edward’s direction, offering him the first bite. It was the least he could do to maybe help him feel a little less uncomfortable. He gave Roy a short look, but then placed his glass of beer – already half empty – on the table, and loaded two oysters out of the five on his plate, and started poking them a little with his fork before he tried to pick it up – unsuccessfully. Roy watched his for a short moment before he loaded two oysters onto his own plate. He ate the first one, enjoying the flavor as it hit his taste buds – this place knew how to cook their oysters. A quick glance across the table showed him that Edward seemed to have given up on trying to eat his, and he was sipping from his beer again, looking even grumpier than before.

Roy couldn’t help a small smile from playing at the edges of his lips, and he gave a short shake of his head. Had Edward really never tried oysters before? He coughed shortly to get his attention. “You should – not try to pick it up,” he offered, and brought his fork to the other oyster on his plate. “But just move it a little with your fork – like this,” he demonstrated. “Until it disconnects from the shell. And then you can try to pick it up and eat it with your fork, or you could slurp it. I know it might feel impolite, but that’s the way to eat it. Try.”

Edward glared at him, radiating annoyance; but Roy could tell he was listening and taking in his advice. “Do you think I care about being polite?” he asked, but grabbed his fork and did as Roy told him. He seemed to be having some difficulties, but eventually, and with the help of his knife, he managed it. He then picked it up with his hands, and brought it to his mouth. Roy could see his nostrils moving as he smelled the unfamiliar food; but then he shrugged, parted his lips, and slurped. Roy almost chuckled at the look of surprise on his face as he chewed it, and as soon as he swallowed, he already started working on his second one. Roy lost the fight with his snicker, and busied himself with eating his own second one. By the time he looked again, Edward’s plate seemed to have only empty, completely eaten shells – and he was eyeing the last one remaining in their main plate. “Good, aren’t they?” Roy commented, placing his fork back in its place. “You can have that one too, if you want.”

Edward raised his eyes to him; for the first time since this morning, they didn’t feel like anger, embarrassment, or hatred were the only emotions in them. The heavy feeling in Roy’s stomach eased – a little. “Yeah,” the blond said, and was already reaching for the last oyster before he paused. “Sure you don’t want it? I mean… maybe we could, like, share it.”

 Roy was genuinely surprised by the offer. It was the first semi-warm thing he’d said to him since this morning. He did not expect any kind of consideration from Edward; not when he felt like he dragged him here against his will. He blinked, but smiled, gesturing lightly towards the plate. “No, it’s alright. I am good. Thank you.”

Edward delayed for another moment, as if giving Roy time to change his mind, but then he picked up his plate and switched it with the one from the center of the table, getting to the mission of eating as soon as it was secured in front of him. Roy smiled, and took another sip from his wine. Maybe he wasn’t wrong after all, and all that was needed was just to calm the other man’s hunger; or let him drown some of his stress in the beer.

Whichever it was, Roy hoped that his friendly offer was a sign that he was warming up to the idea of being together with him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so apparently I cannot finish this in 3 chapters and it ends up being longer.... oh well.... I'll try to finish it in chapters but 5 would be the most I believe.  
> Also heads up to whoever is interested gonna post something for Valentine's too! :D  
> Regardless, enjoy your reading! <3

When he woke up this morning, Ed truly thought he was going to face just another regular, boring day at the office. Sure, he had that dam research to do, which turned up being more interesting than he’d originally thought; but that was just about it. He certainly did not expect to hear people talking about him again, and did not expect confronting them, and definitely, clearly, undoubtedly, did not expect anything that followed: not the weird conversation with Mustang, not the offer that followed, and he certainly never expected himself to agree to go on a date with him. And he definitely did not think he would agree to three of those a week.

Sure, he thought, frowning at his own reflection in the mirror as he was brushing his teeth, Mustang was an attractive man. No sane person with functioning eyes in their head could deny it. He had nice hair, pretty features. Killer body; Ed had no idea how he managed to keep it that way, considering how he seemed to spend all his time behind a desk, but it was clearly there. Even that ugly-ass uniform could not hide the truth. And he had beautiful eyes; brown, but so dark they might’ve just as well been black. Or maybe they were black; Ed wasn’t sure. He did not spend his time staring into Mustang’s eyes. Definitely not. He did not want to, either. He spat the toothpaste and proceeded to rinse his mouth with water before he left the bathroom and walked over to his bed. But Mustang was also a bastard. He was a manipulative shit and Ed knew it. He had to be, otherwise he would’ve never made it to where he did, and Ed had experience that manipulativeness on himself many times, both as a teenager and during the past year. He took off his tank top and his boxers and lay down, wrapping himself in his warm blanket.

He was attracted to Brigadier General Roy Mustang, but strictly physically, and it was something he could not deny even though he really wanted to. That did not mean he wanted him in any way.

But… Ed turned on his left side, felt the way his left leg pressed over his right, and turned back with an annoyed groan. Today wasn’t so awful. He almost… enjoyed it. His hand clenched on his pillow and he glared at the wall, as if it could give him any answers. The dinner itself was pretty damn good – Ed could not remember ever eating anything that tasted like this; for him, it was either pre-made, shitty quality meals or home-made cooking back when he was in Resenbool or whenever Winry and Al visited. He preferred Winry’s cooking, but there was something about that luxurious taste that did appeal to him. And the beer was pretty good, and the wine Mustang ordered for him afterwards complimented the food really well, in a way Ed didn’t even know existed. And… and for the first time, Mustang didn’t act like a jerk. He was actually almost… nice. They even managed to have a civilized talk; at least, after the food arrived. Of course, he embarrassed himself to death when he didn’t know how to eat those oysters. But it wasn’t his fault that it had never looked appealing enough to try, and today he only agreed because he didn’t really care. He just wanted to stuff his mouth with something to help the awkwardness go away. But somehow he had a feeling it did more than that; because suddenly Mustang seemed so caring, so _human_. And from that moment it only seemed to be getting better. As if Brigadier General Roy Mustang and the Roy Mustang that was sitting with him at that restaurant were not the same person at all, despite looking the same, despite wearing the same clothes, and as the evening progressed and they found that they had more to talk about than Ed had ever imagined them having he realized he was actually warming up to him.

It wasn’t as awful to sit across from him, listen to his deep voice as he spoke, seeing the way the lines in his face twisted as when he smiled, when he _laughed_. And he laughed at Ed’s words, and he asked him about the time gap between when Ed left the military to be with his brother and when he came back and he found himself talking about things he didn’t talk about with anyone, not even Al or Winry. And Mustang opened up too, shared a piece of who he was under the military-man façade of his, and Ed found himself fascinated by this new man he didn’t know existed.

A soft smile spread on his lips as he thought about how nice it was to sit there in front of him, to listen to his sharp tongue directed at making him laugh rather than irritate him. Mustang was actually a funny man, Ed realized. He was witty, and smart, and knew exactly what to say and when to say it. Very unlike Ed, who never knew what to say, and always ended up blurting the wrong thing at the worse time. But other than that it seemed that they had so much in common. Once the conversation started, it didn’t feel boring, or forced, not even for a minute. Ed was surprised when at some point, after they enjoyed dessert (Ed had a warm chocolate cake while Mustang had a Tiramisu), Mustang gave him a look and said that they should get the check, and he would drive him home. It was almost as if the evening went by too fast.

And the next Ed knew was that they were picking up the things and Mustang was paying for their dinner – an amount that Ed never even spent in an entire week on food – left what seemed like a generous tip for the waitress and then they were both in the car. The ride back wasn’t as weird or uncomfortable as the ride to the restaurant had been, and even now, the conversation flowed. Then Mustang was asking him for the exact directions to his home, and then Ed pointed at the familiar gate, for some reason feeling slightly ashamed at the unkempt garden at the sides of the walkway to the building and the old look of it. He knew his apartment wasn’t the best located one, or in the best building, but it was enough for him and he liked it. So why did he feel like he didn’t really want Mustang to see it?

But Mustang did not comment on it; he stopped the car, and stepped out when Ed did, walking with him through the gate to the main door. And then he was smiling at him, and Ed found himself fascinated by those lips and the way they stretched on his face. They looked soft, inviting, almost. He wondered how they would feel like, and knew that he’d probably know in a moment, because Mustang did insist on involving kissing in this weird deal they had. He braced himself for it as they reached the door, stopping right in front of it. Soon, he knew, he would get to test his theory that even without opening his mouth Mustang’s kiss would feel so –

Ed turned in his bed again, smile gone and replaced by a frown. After they reached the door, Mustang just smiled at him, told him he had a good time, wished him goodnight and said he would see him in the morning. Then he turned and walked away, and that was it. He let out an annoyed sigh. Why did he even care? He was not supposed to want this. It was him who insisted on placing those rules in the first place, and for a goddamn good reason. They were not really dating. They were only doing this to get the others off of their backs; so the stupid rumors would stop and people would stop saying mean things about him behind his back.

He closed his eyes. It was all just fake. Mustang was just playing the game, too. After all, why would he even want someone like Ed? He was too young, too immature. His left leg’s weight was hurting his right leg again and he turned back. He was a cripple. Mustang, with his smart looks and smooth tongue probably had endless, much better options. Not that Ed wanted to be included in those options, anyway.

So why did he feel such a loss that Roy didn’t lean in to kiss him?

*

He was still feeling weird when he went to the office the next day. The feeling of people staring at him grew stronger, and he could swear he heard someone murmur the words ‘General Mustang’ and ‘date’. Feeling his face turning red, he did his very best to ignore it and walked straight to the office.

…Which turn out to be just as bad. The very moment he opened the door Havoc, Breda and Fuery were all on him, not even letting him have a clear passage to his desk and flooding him with questions. He could only make out the idea of it, since they were all talking at the same time.

Ed felt his cheeks burning and he frowned as he tried to make his way to his desk. “It wasn’t… like that…” he found himself saying. How could he explain his denial yesterday in light of the way Mustang was acting afterwards, so openly asking him out to a dinner that he supposedly already agreed to, getting so close to him and whispering to him and – and calling him _pet names_? He was buying time as he was trying to come up with a good enough excuse. He got to his destination and shrugged his coat off.

“So? You did lie to me – to us,” Havoc quickly corrected himself, glancing at the other two. “Why? It’s not like I’d judge you or anything. I don’t care who you bed. I mean, I care, because hell, that’s some juicy news, but it’s not like I mind it being the Boss you know. I think, uh, to be honest – ”

“We all kind of figured out it will happen at some point,” Breda volunteered. “I mean, with the way you two are acting around each other…”

Ed’s mouth fell open. ‘Figured out it will happen’? The way they were _looking_ at each other? He wasn’t looking at Mustang until yesterday in any way other than… well, as if he were an eyesore! A handsome eyesore, but still. “I – we – you got it all _so wrong_!”

“So explain!”

Ed swallowed and turned his eyes away from them. He instead sat down in his chair and played with his pen for a short moment, still trying to find a valid excuse.

“He was trying to protect me.” Ed looked up at Mustang who had just stepped out of his inner office and was smiling at them. He could see the other’s faces turn too. “As you probably know, it does not reflect very nicely on me, to be dating a subordinate, and he did not want our relationship to sabotage my promotions.” Mustang walked around the three and the desk, Ed’s eyes following him as he reached just behind him. He lowered his look to his desk when Mustang stood there and placed his hands on Ed’s shoulders. “But since it seems that we are not very good at hiding how much we like each other… we figured we might just as well stop trying.” Ed felt the hands give a little squeeze to his shoulders, and forced himself to look up and smile meekly.

“Yeah. Uh, yes. Just didn’t wanna, you know… ‘cuz I like him…” he swallowed. “But, you know… since everyone seemed to know anyway… we, uh… talked about it… and decided to just… come clean. Sorry I was lying ‘bout it, before.”

He looked at Havoc, Breda and Fuery, waiting for a sign that they bought it. They were glancing between them for a second, but then each of them smiled in his own way. Ed could let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding; this explanation seemed to have satisfied them. “Don’t stress over it,” Havoc finally say. “I – I think _we_ – are just happy for you two.”

“Yeah, certainly _we_ ,” Fuery said, his smile broadening. “If you’re happy – we’re happy.”

“And if you get any shit from other people,” Breda contributed. “Then we’ve got your back. You can trust us. And I am sure every person in this office would feel the same.”

It was actually really heart-warming, Ed thought. How supportive they all were of this fake relationship. He felt bad for leading them on, but at least they seemed to accept this situation much better than the truth.

“Thank you,” Mustang said, and the pressure on Ed’s shoulders grew. He could feel him leaning closer, could feel his warm breath brushing against his ear. “We are both very grateful. Right, darling?”

Ed almost choked, and he felt his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red. They – hadan agreement on that. He would have to talk to Mustang about this violation of their rules. “Uh – yes, of course.” He could feel his heartbeat increasing. Did Mustang have to be so close? He hated the way his body was reacting to this. Yesterday he would’ve just gotten mad at him; now he felt nervous. “Super grateful. It’s so nice of you to, uh, support – us – like this.”

“Yes,” Ed felt the word vibrating right on his ear, and a second later he almost gasped when he could feel sudden warmth and wetness. Was Mustang – Mustang had just kissed his ear. His lips really felt as soft as he thought they must feel; even though he wasn’t entirely sure, as it only lasted a short second. “It is, and now we – “

“Hey hey hey – we support you two and all but we _do not_ want to see all that lovey-dovey stuff!”

 The air that came out from Mustang’s mouth as he chuckled felt tingling against the slight wetness on his skin. And then, as quickly as it appeared, Mustang’s presence drew away. Ed felt sadness at its loss, and then anger at himself for feeling that way. “As I was about to say, now we should get to work,” he said, and then the weight on his shoulders disappeared and Mustang walked away, disappearing into his office.

All the remaining four stayed quiet for a short moment. Ed expected them to leave him alone, now that they got their answer, but instead they lingered next to him.

“So when did this whole thing start?” asked Havoc, the smile returning to his lips.

Ed looked at him and blinked. They did not work out any of those details yet. Should he just… make something up?.. He should have talked about this with Mustang last night. They should have come up with the story of how they ended up dating. But just _talking_ , getting to know Mustang, was so nice; Ed didn’t even think about it.

He was never a very good liar, but he was going to have to do his best, and update Mustang afterwards.

 

Luckily, Ed was saved from the interrogation rather quickly by a meeting he forgot was supposed to be taking place. He only had to make up a few details, like how long this had been going on (two months apparently), who kissed whom first (Mustang did, because Ed’d be damned if he claimed he initiated any of this) and if they ‘did it’ already (hell no and fuck you this is none of your business). He just hoped he could update Mustang on these details before he’d be asked and giving different answers. This whole situation was weird enough as it was and there was no need to make things even messier than it had to be.

Luckily, after the meeting ended, everyone seemed to be too busy to be bothering Ed about this, and the day ended without any further incidents. Other than that conversation in the morning, every time he talked with Mustang it was almost completely professional. And still, Ed found that it was just a tiny bit harder to breathe, his heart beat just a tiny bit faster, every time they were around people and Mustang stood just a few inches closer than necessary, or looking at him just a second longer than what would be expected of a commanding officer talking to his subordinate. Or when he smiled at him, and Ed could see those lines at his eyes and right above his lips and couldn’t help but think about how genuine his smiles always looked and how that little spark that always played at the darkness of his eyes always hinted that there was more to that smile than Mustang was letting on. And when he paused and looked thoughtful Ed would’ve given his entire savings account just to know what was going on inside his head, and whenever he talked and his lips moved Ed couldn’t help but go back to last night and thoughts about how these lips would feel on his, especially now that he knew that they really were as soft as they looked.

 But then the day ended, and other than those few work-related conversations, he had no contact with Mustang at all. He didn’t even walk out of his office when it was time to leave – not to go home, and not to say anything to Ed. Sure, Ed tried to pack up and leave quicker than the usual. He didn’t want yesterday to repeat itself, with Mustang suddenly showing up at his desk and telling him they were going to have – Xiagnese, or something. Because he certainly didn’t want that to happen. But at least a goodbye, or any kind of acknowledgement… Not for his sake, no; just to make others believe that they really had a relationship going. But even as he shouldered his backpack and headed towards the door, Mustang’s office remained closed. He considered walking over there, knocking on the door and saying something – but scratched that thought and pushed it away as soon as it popped up. This was a pretend relationship; something that he didn’t even want. He had no idea where all these thoughts were coming from. Sure, last night was nice and all, and Mustang was not by no means unattractive, but he was still… Mustang. Ex-Colonel-Bastard, turned into Brigadier-General-Bastard, which was even worse. And besides, it’s not like they were supposed to go out again so soon.

Ed tore his eyes from the inner office’s door and headed towards the exit, waving goodbye to the others and ignoring the questions regarding another date tonight. It was _his_ rule that they would only go out on three dates a week. And that was after negotiating. He was not supposed to _want_ Mustang to take him out.

Only… that he sort of, did.

Ed shook his head and let out an annoyed grunt, scaring, along the way, an unknown sergeant. He didn’t want to go on a date with Mustang; but he needed to, because, clearly, the rules have been broken. He specifically told him no nick names and none of his moves when he acted all charming; and the first one he broke this morning, _in front of half of the office_ , and the second one he clearly broke too, because otherwise Ed had no explanation for the weird feeling he had ever since last night.

He was going to make sure that tomorrow they will go out again, and he will make sure that Mustang knows that when he set rules – he means it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so so sorry that it took me so long!!! It's been a .... rough year. But here I am!  
> ...please don't hate me for taking forever...

Roy was... surprised by the turn of events. Not that he did not expect himself to enjoy his time with Edward. He knew he was very mature for his age even if he didn’t show it so well at times. And he knew that he was smart, to say the least; Roy was actually more and more leaning to believe that Edward was smarter than him. The thought almost scared him, but the intrigue elevated above the fear. Since they also shared their main interest, Roy had no doubt having a conversation with the elder Elric will be fascinating - and he certainly was not wrong about it. Even though Edward could no longer perform alchemy, he still was, and probably forever will be, a brilliant alchemist. He was still curious about it, still read about it and came up with his own theories and ideas; some Roy already heard before, some were new to him. He didn’t necessarily agree with it all - but they seemed well thought, and some intrigued Roy more than he cared to admit. But what really surprised him about the evening was how natural it all felt.

Even when he came up with this plan, he assumed it will take some time to have the younger man warm up to the idea. It was one thing to see that the way he was looking at him was more than platonic. It was a whole other thing to act on it, and even more so, to make Edward understand his own feelings and come in terms with them. Roy was not sure how accepting Edward was of this side of himself. He did not know much about his personal life. There was no need for that at work, and Edward was not the type to overshare, like some others in the office. Considering his age and the fact that he spent most of his teenage life risking his life under Roy’s command, Roy could only assume he wasn’t very experienced in that aspect.

And then, of course, there was also the option that Roy was simply mistaken; but he was pleasantly surprised.

He was even more surprised when by the end of the evening it almost seemed that Edward did not want it to end. Almost like he wanted to stay at the restaurant. But it was getting late, and Roy did not know how much of Edward’s behavior was an act, and how much of it was real. He also was very well aware that he dropped this date on Edward out of nowhere, with no prior warning or agreement. He had no idea if he had any former plans, although he was pretty sure he did not, or he would’ve told him so. But even if Edward’s only plan for that evening was to sit at home and read a book, it would have been rude of him to keep him until late.

However, the biggest surprise came when Roy left him at his door step. It almost felt as if Edward was expecting him to kiss him. Not that the thought did not cross Roy’s mind; it certainly did. After all, Edward was, by no means, unpleasant on the eyes, and this evening proved to Roy that he was so much more than what some people thought. Even though Roy managed to twist and use the unflattering rumor to his advantage, getting Edward to agree to date him, and even, it seemed, to make him enjoy his company, considering the conversation they had on the way to the restaurant Roy assumed any physical advances will be unwelcomed. He did manage to get permission to steal kisses; but so far only for the purpose of having other people witnessing the kisses and therefore making their relationship more believable. He trusted that at Edward’s door step when there was no one around did not fall into that category, and he did not feel like getting punched by him, or worse, taking something from him he did not agree to give.

But as he said good night and turned from him Roy was pretty sure he could see disappointment in Edward’s eyes. Did he notice his irises drop just a little, as if he was looking at Roy’s lips, or was it just his imagination? Roy knew that look; he had seen it many times on men and women, at dark corners of a bar, sitting right across from him at a restaurant or at the door of a car. He sometimes decided to indulge the looker and give them what they wanted. More often than not, they got more than what they bargained for as the meeting ended in one hotel or another, or at their apartment. He never took them to his own place. That was his sanctuary and he let no stranger infiltrating his private place. He could count on a single hand the people he allowed in.

Not that he had the intention of getting himself into Edward’s bed. At least, not now. Who wouldn’t want someone like Edward Elric in their bed? There was no denying that he was incredibly beautiful; and he was a fighter, even after all those years. Surely he had the body and stamina of a fighter. Combine that with his fiery temper and his incredibly caring, loyal character, and you got yourself the perfect lover. Roy was sure that even if he had absolutely no experience, he would still be better than most. But thinking about going that far when he thought he might get punched for a kiss was too ambitious even for Roy. Even when he added to the equation the look Edward gave him at the end of the night, the tingling feeling that he could have – was expected to – kiss him, thinking about messy beds was going too far ahead of himself.

Noises coming from outside his closed office door tore him away from these thoughts, but a small smile lingered on his lips as he heard first the surge of questions, then the – the only word that came up in his mind was _adorably_ – flustered voice of Edward as he tried to fight the attack he was currently under back. He lingered for a short while, amused by the voices he heard from the other side of the door; but eventually he realized he was just being mean. He put his papers back on the desk and got up, heading towards the door to save Edward. Roy knew, as he stepped as close as he did, that there is a good chance he would get hit; verbally, more likely so than physically, but the risk was there all right, and it was one he was willing to take. He knew he was pushing his luck even further when he used the pet name; but really, he could not display a believable show without it. It just wouldn’t be right.

He also really enjoyed watching the flustered look on Edward’s face and the adorable way he choked on his own words. It would have been definitely worth it to get slapped; but luckily that didn’t happen and Roy was even rewarded  able to continue with his light teasing without causing any harm to himself in the process. It was becoming more fun by the second; Edward’s reaction was amusing but he found the other teammates’ reaction just as entertaining.

The situation seemed to be getting better and better for him with all these added benefits he did not know he was going to have. He walked back to his inner office with a smirk stretched on his lips.

*

He was busy for the rest of the day. So many things needed his attention, and so many meetings that ate up at his day, that Roy didn’t even notice what time it was until it was well after hours and almost everyone else were gone. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, trying to stretch his tired muscles. He hated days like this, when he barely even had time to use the restroom, but still, somehow, barely managed to get any work done. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed that not only was it after hours, but it was already so late that a late dinner would turn into a night snack if he didn’t leave soon.

Roy looked at the stack of papers, still untouched and marked as ‘urgent’ on his desk, and sighed. He loved his job, he really did – and there was not a moment when he wanted to drop everything, give up on his goals and the country and choose a different path. But it could have been nice if his path could have less useless paperwork. Accepting his fate Roy picked up the papers, arranged them neatly and placed then in the bag he owned just for such times. He had to finish this paperwork, but there was no rule that forced him to do it specifically in his office. He got up and took a last glance at his desk to make sure he didn’t forget anything important and nearly jumped when the sound of knock on wood startled him, extra loud in the quietness of after hours. He thought that all his team had left already, but when the door opened after he said ‘come in’ he was not surprised to see Hawkeye standing there. If anyone stayed that long, it would be her.

He smiled softly at her. “You know you don’t have to stay here as long as I do, right?”

"Yes, Sir. I wanted to make sure that you did not fall asleep.”

Roy shook his head. Of course she would say something like that. “Don’t worry, Lieutenant. I did not fall asleep. I was just heading home. And before you say anything, I took all my paperwork with me, so there is no need to threaten me.” He said jokingly and patted the bag he was holding.

"No, sir. I know you already know better than to neglect your work,” she said with half a smile too. “But I cannot trust your brain as much as I trust you.”

"I assure you that you can trust my brain just as much as you can trust me. Shall we head out? It’s late. I am sure you want to be home by now too.”

She moved from the door, just enough to allow passage. “Yes, sir.” Roy walked out of the room and locked the door before he started heading towards the main hall. Hawkeye followed him, waiting as he locked the door to the outer office as well. She was quiet until Roy was no longer busy with anything other than walking. “Permission to talk about personal matters, sir.”

Roy glanced at her. Everyone else in the office seemed to have no problem talking freely about non-work-related, personal stuff. But of course Hawkeye would keep to herself, unless something really bothered her. He had a feeling he knew what this would be about. “If it is my personal matters, then as it seems that everyone made it their habit to stick their noses in my personal life, I hardly think it would matter if one more person would talk about it. If it is about something that bothers you, then you know you can always talk to me if you want, or need to. Permission granted.”

"Thank you, sir.” She said, and paused for a few seconds. “I know the rumors regarding you and Major Elric are false.” Roy let out a soft sigh. Of course. He could fool anyone but his trusted bodyguard. Not only was she smart - smarter than most, even though every person on his team was smart in their own way – but she knew him better than anyone else. She knew him better than Maes knew him. And without him, she had no competition at all. “I am not sure what you are trying to achieve by pretending they were true and making Lieutenant Colonel Elric pretend with you. But please, Sir, be careful. He is very young and I don’t think he has experience of any kind in that area. I know you will not force him into anything he does not want to do, but please make sure that he is okay with it, and please, don’t play with his emotions. He tries to hide it, but he will be hurt if you do all of this just for fun. I will personally shoot you if you end up hurting him just because this whole ordeal amuses you in any way.”

Roy listened to her carefully. He knew it could seem like it – like he wanted nothing more than entertainment. And while it was partially true, he also knew what he saw in his eyes every time they landed on him was not just his imagination. And he knew that the more he was around Edward, the more he found himself fascinated by the man he grew to be. He also could tell that he wasn’t as inexperienced as Hawkeye seemed to think he was. He was still shy to all of Roy’s touches, but he clearly knew what he should be expecting at a relationship; even a fake one. But Hawkeye always did seem to be experiencing motherly feelings towards the Elrics, and mothers always seemed to be in denial regarding their children’s sexual experience.

She did, however, have a point. He should be more careful. She did not mention it, but he was sure it was not because she didn’t think about it, but because she trusted him to be wise enough to know that this thing could potentially have very negative effects on Roy himself too. That, combined with the fact that all the feelings he thought Edward had to him were just that – an assumption, a speculation – he really should be more careful. He should test the waters and see how Edward reacted to him, see if that feeling last night was real and if, at least on some level, Edward really did want him to kiss him; or if it was all just Roy being too self-centered, too vain, to know reality from wishful thinking.

He gave her a nod. “I promise you that if I can help it, I won’t let him get hurt. I do think he is a very attractive and smart young man. I did not lie about that. But I will make sure that he doesn’t do anything he later regrets – at least, as much as I can help it.” Even if they had the perfect relationship following this no one could promise it would last forever; and no one could promise that if and when it is over, if Edward won’t end up regretting even letting Roy get him into it. But Roy sure as hell was going to make sure that Edward knew what he was doing. He appreciated him too much to do something like that to him.

He could feel her piercing eyes on him as they walked, as if she was trying to read into his mind. “Okay. If you are sincere about all of this, and Lieutenant Colonel Elric wants it too, then I support you two. Thank you, sir.”

Roy was surprised that she thanked him, but chose not to comment. “You are welcome, Lieutenant.”

*

"I don’t like classical music.”

Roy let out a short chuckle and got up from his chair, picking up his coat. Next to him Edward did the same, and they started making their way through the crowd towards the exit. “Good. It was not classical music. It was Impressionism.” He knew Edward will probably not appreciate being taken to a concert, and much less so being made to dress formally; but it was worth it. First, because Edward Elric in formal wear had been, by far, one of the most pleasing sights Roy had ever witnessed; second, because he thought that everyone should attend at least one concert in their lives, and he was pretty sure Edward had never been to one, nor would he choose to go on his own accord. Third, because this was his last chance to attend this specific concert, which was in the memory of his favorite composer’s 5 year memorial. He had to get tickets months in advance, and he got two, in the hopes of having a date to take to the concert, thus painting himself as not only an ambitious military man and a talented alchemist, but also as an intellect. He did not expect his date to be Edward, who already knew the first fact, would have surpassed him in the second fact if he still could perform alchemy, and Roy knew better than to think he could have any impression other than a pretentious stuck up in Edwards’s mind after taking him to such an event. But it was a beautiful concert, the complex works executed almost perfectly, and he did not regret exposing Edward to this side of culture even if he did not enjoy it as much as Roy did.

"Which is a movement in classical music. As I said, I don’t like classical music.”

Roy glanced at Edward, surprised at the answer he got. He wasn’t wrong, and Roy knew it even before he teased Edward about his comment; but he did not expect him to have this knowledge. He decided not to ask about it, at least for now. He didn’t want to give Edward the impression that he thought he was not educated enough to know this. “You are entitled to your own taste, of course, but this kind of music is made to please the human ear.”

Next to him, Edward shrugged. “Most of what they make is really boring. I mean, sure, it all matches up really nicely. The harmony and all. But it’s boring.”

"I have to disagree with you. Each work has its own flow, its own story. You can feel the mood the composer was in when they were composing it, you can feel it change as it progresses. You can hear when the composer had a painful break-up, or a happy event in his life. The notes, the melody, the way the composer chose to put them all together, it tells you a story. It is beautiful and fascinating.”

"It’s nice and all, but there are only so many different things you can do without breaking the rules. It’s boring, not exciting in any way. But when you break the rules – that’s when it becomes interesting. You need to first step out of the box, break and reconstruct it to make something new and unique.”

They stepped out of the hall, and Roy led Edward through it to the exit where he parked his car. The weather felt nice. It wasn’t too cold; nothing a light jacket would not solve, and the light breeze wasn’t too chill either. The sky seemed to be clear too; the stars clearly visible and the moon shooing away the night’s darkness. “The rules are there because these are the kind of sounds the human ear likes to hear. If you try to play a C and a D flat, it would just sound unpleasant in most contexts.”

"Unpleasant, maybe. But interesting. I like it better when the rules are broken.”

Roy found himself smirking at that comment. He definitely was aware of this specific preference of his, and had some personal experience with it. “There’s a time and a place for breaking rules. In fact, not all of the chords you just listened to were consonants. The rules were broken in Impressionism, in a pleasant way. According to your logic, you should have found it interesting.” They reached the car. Roy took out the key from his pocket and was about to unlock the door when he paused. Edward was already at the passenger door, waiting for the cue that he could open it. “It’s rather nice outside and I don’t know about you, but I feel like I sat on my ass enough for the next month or so today,” he smiled at the incredibly amusing expression on Edward’s face at the use of the not very professional word. “Would you care if we walk for a while before I will take you home?”

There was a short pause and – was it a pinkish hue he saw appearing on Edward’s face just before the younger man stepped away from the car and glanced at his own feet to hide his face? “Uhm. Sure. Whatever.” He began walking when Roy did, following him until they fell in step, one beside the other. “Well it was boring anyway. Still too agreeable.”

Roy found himself glancing at the man walking by his side. He didn’t look uncomfortable, despite the less than sure reaction he received for the offer to walk for a bit before he drove him home and they called it a night.

Interesting.

"Then you can just as well grab an instrument and start playing without knowing how to hold it or what a musical note is. I am sure that would be much more interesting to you.”

Edward seemed to think about it for a moment. “Interesting? Yeah, definitely. Meaningful? Fun? Probably less so.”

Roy let out a soft chuckle. “I thought you didn’t mind if it sounded awful.”

“I don’t. But I like it better when the rules are broken for a reason. To make a point, or a statement, or something.”

“Is that why you keep breaking the rules?”

That earned him a sided look, and he saw a light colored eyebrow arching up. “Aren’t _you_ the one breaking the rules by asking me out?”

“Not technically. If you consent, it is perfectly legal. Might not reflect too well about me, considering your age and, well, who you are. But, you know, people always do crazy things when they’re in love.” The reward was immediate, and Roy had to smother a laugh and be satisfied with just a smile instead at the way Edward’s face turn all nice and red and his eyes so obviously avoided him. This time he let his laughter free; which, in turn, made Edward’s face go even redder. He wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or anger, but it was – adorable – nonetheless. “I am just joking, Edward. There is no need to be so embarrassed. Although, I have to say, your reaction is quite amusing.”

“Bastard.” Roy glanced at the man walking next to him. He did not seem too hurt – or hurt at all. His face bore so many emotions it was hard for Roy to figure out what exactly he was feeling, and he doubted even Edward himself knew the answer to that question; but hurt was definitely not among the emotions he saw playing in his features.

“Seems like this is your favorite nickname for me. Although I assure you that both my parents were married – to each other, I daresay – I think I can get used to it.”

“It’s not something positive you know,” Edward seemed to have found a pebble – or a piece of junk, Roy could not see – to kick. At least his face seemed to be cooling down as the seconds passed by. Too bad. “Not some kind of – pet name. Its just to remind you that you are, well, a bastard. Not in the literal sense of the word,” Edward quickly added when Roy opened his mouth, to negate exactly that, “but in the way you behave. If it bothers you, I have plenty other names. I can go alphabetically for your convenience. Asshole. Well, now there would have been Bastard, Cunt, Dumbass, Egregious Dog, Fuckface, Geriatric Ass, Geriatric Bastard, geriatric – “

“As astounded I am by your obvious creativity, I believe I got the point,” Roy cut into Edward’s indeed impressive listing. He noted some of the more – unusual names Edward mentioned, and made a mental note to ask him later. He knew Edward was a reader; but he was almost ashamed to admit that he thought his reading list was limited to alchemy. Apparently he indulged in recreational reading as well. “My point is that I don’t mind. I thought we have a no-nickname rule, but I do believe that I broke it first, _darling.”_

“Ugh don’t – don’t say that!”

“If you are allowed to use pet names, then so am I.” He knew his argument lacked in logic; but also knew Edward will most likely be too flustered to notice, or comment.

“No, I didn’t –“

“It’s alright. You can call me however you like, Edward. We are, after all, dating.” He smiled to himself. This was incredibly fun. “And so I will accept lovingly any name you would choose to call me.”

"Even ‘Fuckface’?”

Roy saw the sneer on Edward’s face. “This sort of name will sadly be forced to be kept at our alone time. Sadly it is not appropriate for the office.”

"Well, we are alone now, aren’t we, Fuckface?”

“Indeed we are, Honey.” It wasn’t one-hundred percent true, as there were some people walking in the street; although not many. With the weather and it being a workday, it was no surprise. Roy’s smile grew. He knew Edward would not keep calling him that for long – he knew he only chose the one he thought was the most likely to make Roy back down from his words. “If this is your chosen pet name then so be it. Now, I know it is not exactly nice and warm summer weather, but I really feel like something sweet. What do you say?” he gestured at the lonely ice-cream shop a few meters away, and glanced at Edward to see his reaction.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Ed lied about hating the concert. He actually kind of enjoyed it. He did not like classical music, he did not lie about that; but being there with Mustang, listening to his comments, the discussion they had afterwards. He enjoyed it all. He even enjoyed the walk despite his leg acting up at the smell of rain in the air.

He wasn’t sure if Mustang noticed it or not, but at a very convenient timing he offered that they would stop for an ice cream. He wasn’t sure how smart it would be to indulge in the frozen dessert, considering the weather – but he knew there was no such thing as a weather too cold for ice cream. That, and a part of him was looking for an excuse to make this last longer. To see what would happen, what else they will end up talking about, if they spent those few minutes extra together.

He didn’t think he would get this extra time. Ed knew that the chill was making him bitter and crabby. He knew that most likely, Mustang did not deserve the unflattering nickname he chose for him; and besides, Bastard suited him so much better. He never thought Mustang would accept it. He thought he would turn back and go back to the car. The other part of Ed – the part that was… scared, almost, of what they were doing; of what he was feeling and the thoughts he had, wished that it would happen. Maybe even it was a part of the reason he chose to say that; chose to be difficult.

After all, this was Mustang that was walking besides him, smiling at him, occasionally teasing him. It was Mustang who spent some good money on him to take him to a concert, which Ed knew was no cheap thing. It was Mustang who sometimes walked so close to him he could swear their fingers brushed against each other every now and then. And it was Mustang, Brigadier General Roy Mustang, that kept popping in his mind at the most inappropriate moments, making him think about lips and tongues and things he should not be thinking about, especially not in regards to the man who was his commanding officer.

“It isn’t too cold for you, isn’t it?”

The question tore Ed away from his thoughts and made him look sideways at the other man. He blinked and stared at him. The feeling of something wet slithering down his palm made him look away at his ice cream, which, apparently, was now dripping over the cone and his hand, and soon it would reach his wrist. “Shit,” he swore as he made a dive for it, trying to lick the melting sweet off of his skin and save the situation. Next to him he could hear Mustang chuckling in that quiet, deep voice of him – which made Ed regret throwing away his dignity like this and made him hyper aware of how he must look – like a messy child that can’t even eat his food without making a mess out of it and out of himself. He groaned in annoyance as he tried to minimize the damage, only allowing himself to move his head away when he was sure the danger had passed, instead eyeing his ice cream with a blaming look.

He heard Mustang letting out another chuckle, and the next thing he knew, his thumb was placed right under Ed's chin, lightly urging him to lift his face and look at the other man. Another finger then brushed over his skin, millimeters from his lips. Ed felt his face turning red as it seemed that his body had will of its own; his mouth watered and he almost turned his head, just slightly, in what he could only describe as an urge to taste that finger. He managed to stop himself a fraction of a second before it became too awkward. Instead, he frowned and moved his head away, averting his eyes from the black pools of Mustang's eyes. “The fuck you think you're doing?” he snapped at him, moving his own hand to wipe Mustang’s touch away.

A quick, angry glance showed him Mustang’s next action. He wasn’t sure where it came from, but a part of him expected to see Mustang bringing his thumb to his mouth, thought he would lick it away. Maybe even hoped for that. But instead Mustang just reached in the pocket of his suit, his hand in a weird position as he tried not to smear the fabric with the ice cream as he pulled out a napkin and cleaned his thumb. He then folded the napkin and put it back in his pocket. “Saving you from paying extra fees on your rented suit,” he replied – Ed could swear he saw the hint of a smirk adorning his lips – and returned to his own ice cream.

Ed felt his cheeks burn, and he forced himself to focus on eating. Hopefully, without giving the bastard any more excuses to – touch him.

He didn’t like this. He didn’t like the thoughts his mind was having. He didn’t like the way he found himself feeling. He didn’t like standing here and eating ice cream when it is clearly too cold for it, with Mustang pretending he is not trying to be all charming and flirting when he so clearly _is_ and the way his leg was hurting from the promise of rain surely wasn’t helping to any of it.

“We can leave, if you want,” Mustang said. He licked his lips, getting rid of ice cream leftovers around his mouth. “I can take you home. We did not set any rules regarding how long each ‘date’ should last, and it was just a suggestion to go on this walk. If you don’t feel well, or don’t really want to be around me, it is your right. Come on,” he smiled, and took another lick at his ice cream before it dripped. “Lets finish this and get out of here.”

Ed frowned. He wasn’t sure he understood what was going on. On the one hand, it seemed that Mustang was trying to play him. That in some sick way he enjoyed this whole… thing. He didn’t seem all that upset when Ed told him about the rumors surrounding them. He offered this strange idea of them – dating – as a solution, and tricked Ed into believing him. He fought Ed over his rules – and then went about breaking them and making Ed feel all weird. On the other hand…

On the other hand it felt like at least sometimes Mustang really did care. Cared about making Ed feel comfortable, cared about him having at least nice time. And Ed… did. The dinner they shared was good. Not just the food. The conversation they held. And the feeling he had that night, when they were standing right before his small apartment building, and the easy, flowing conversations they had that proved they had more in common than just work and alchemy.

So, being the big blabbermouth he is, he talked. Ignoring the ice cream that again was dripping on his hand and threatening his rented suit, he fixed his stare at the road in front of him. It was relatively empty, but it didn’t matter. “What – what are you trying to do?” he asked, knowing that his voice came out harsh, blaming. “What is it that we are doing? I mean, I know,” he let out a short chuckle. “I know we are pretending to be dating so people will get off of our backs, or something like that. But there is no one from the office around. There was no one from the military at the concert. No one is around us now. Not a soul, except for that poor part timer that sold us the ice creams. So definitely not anyone we know, or knows us. So why are we here? We can get the exact same result by, I don’t know, you driving me home from work and dropping me there. People will see us leave, assume things, that’s it. Like, I know that you asked me if I wanted this walk, and I said yes, but why did you even bother asking? What… what is the point of the rest of it? What do we get out of it? What do _you_ get out of it?”

Silence followed his little speech, leaving Ed breathless and anxious. He did not dare to look up and try to read Mustang’s expression. It was a lost cause anyway; the man was nearly impossible to read. And what would he see there now if he could read it? Scorn? Amusement? Smugness? All of the above? Ed by no means considered himself a coward; but he did not think that refusing to meet all those feelings in Mustang’s eyes now was a cowardly move. Mustang was his boss. His commanding officer, which wais even worse. He didn’t need to _know_ he was feeling that way about him.

Speculating was bad enough.

He wished he wasn’t still holding the stupid ice cream cone, dripping over his hand and the pavement, taking with it whatever was left of his dignity. He wished he wasn’t so far from his home, or had enough cash on him for a taxi. That way at least now, at least tonight, he wouldn’t have to handle Mustang. He could have gone home, have the night to calm down and think of an excuse for his outburst. It would have given Mustang the time to dismiss the words Ed had just blurted at him. As it was, he was still holding the damn thing, and he only have two options of going home now – relaying on Mustang to drive him, or walk however long it would take for him to make it there: probably an hour or so. It actually seemed like a good idea, except that his damn leg was aching, and that mean not only discomfort, but also indicated an upcoming rain (and a quick glance upwards showed him that the previously clear sky was now partially covered by clouds), and he did not want to be forced to call in sick tomorrow. That would be even worse than relying on Mustang to drive him. He should swallow his pride and tell Mustang to drive him home.

“Is it so hard to believe that I simply enjoy your company?” Mustang’s voice cut through his thoughts before Ed could bring himself to opening his mouth and say the words he needed to say. “You are a smart man, Edward. Not a bad conversation partner, to say the least. You have interesting things to say. Some I agree with, some I don’t, but the discussion is interesting either way. You have your own style of humor, which is sometimes too juvenile, but is always sharp. And to top it all, you are, by no means, unattractive. I would be lying if I claimed differently.” Mustang’s tone was even. There was not an ounce of mockery in it, no hesitation. In a way, it felt as if Mustang used the time between the end of Ed’s speech to when he decided to start talking to carefully calculate his words; to decide what he wanted to say, to make sure he meant each syllable that left his lips. “You are not bad company to have. Except, some might say, for the occasional swear word that slips.” Ed could swear he heard a smile in Mustang’s words.

He swallowed, and finally looked up at the other man. Mustang’s eyes, two black orbs that every time they rested on him made him want to drown in their darkness, were set on him. Mustang was hard to read; but there was one thing that was clear in each and every feature of his face now: honesty. A part of Ed warned him that this might be a trap; but another fought back. What would Mustang gain from lying to him? From saying all these things to him? No matter how many times he flipped it in his head, he could only reach the conclusion that by saying these things, Mustang exposed more than he could witness; and in the kind of relationship they had, he could only lose by lying about it. Ed had nothing to offer. No favors he could provide. There was no reason to try and sweet talk him.

He wondered for a fleeting moment if this had been Mustang’s plan all along, or if for him, too, something had changed during all the time they spent together. But – it did not matter. Not really.

Ed felt his lips stretching a little to create a weaker version of the smile he could see on Roy’s lips. “I do swear quite a bit, don’t I?”

“I like to think about it as a part of your charm. Although, you might want to tone it down when in a work environment.”

“So you think I am charming?” Ed finally looked up at Mustang’s face. He could now see the smile that he heard in his voice; it was mesmerizing to look at, with the way it moved Mustang’s facial features. It was an honest smile, complete with that little spark in the eyes that seemed to light their darkness and sometimes was not there at those times Ed figured he was faking it. It caught Ed by surprise. Everything about this conversation did. He felt confused and weird. Almost left out, like he was missing something.

“I thought it was quite obvious by now.” Mustang’s reply was even more surprising than his words that led to this question. Ed was half joking; he did not think the question will be taken seriously; and he certainly did not expect this kind of answer. He did not think that any of it was – could be – real. Mustang had no one to pretend for now. There was no one around listening in, not even the bored looking part timer. And even though Ed knew Mustang was a good actor; probably one of the best, or else he probably would not have made it as far as he did, Ed could swear that there was no deceit in those dark eyes.

He… _meant it_ , and it left Ed confused.

In a way, suddenly things started to make sense – why Mustang didn’t seem all that upset about the rumor; why he came up with this weird idea of them dating to throw that rumor off of them; why he treated him so kindly even when there was no one to pretend for; why he took him home and walked him to the doorway instead of just dropping him off. Maybe even it was a part of why he asked him to come back and why he offered such a generous offer for him. But he still could not decipher how on earth a man like Mustang – perfect in almost every way imaginable – would find someone like Ed, who was more damaged than anything else, anything even remotely like charming, or likable.

And if he _did_ like him; why didn’t he do anything about it until now? Why did he wait for a stupid rumor to start going around about them, and use it as a lame excuse to ask him out? Mustang was never a particularly shy man. Everyone knew about his romantic endeavours; although Ed was pretty sure he was not the only one who thought those were limited to women. Why would he stop himself from flirting when it was Ed? The thought that he never really shown any interest – probably even showed the opposite of it – crossed Ed’s mind. After all, he didn’t even realize he wanted this until a few days ago. Until he _had_ it – until Roy took him out on a date, and left him wanting and feeling the loss of something meaningful right at his door. A date Ed spent mostly putting boundaries and limitations and rules to keep him away, without even realizing that maybe this was what he wanted. He did everything in his power to let Roy know he was not happy with any of it, that he did not want it, that all he wanted was for people in general and Roy in particular to get off of his back and any romantic life he might or might not have with as little contact as possible with Roy.

He realized that he had been quiet – and staring – for too long.

“I – I didn’t… know,” Ed said eventually. If he was right, and Roy did want this – him – with all his flaws, did Ed want him back? He was attractive, sure; and smart, and apparently also funny and interesting beyond just being a brilliant alchemist. But he was also… Roy Mustang. Too arrogant and smug – not without a good reason, but still, it was annoying. He was his commanding officer, which made any kind of a relationship beyond a professional one bordering illegal, or at least, frowned upon. He was married to his work, which was everything that Ed hated, punctuality and commands and politics and uniforms and _hierarchy_. And he had the reputation of a skirt chaser. What if he only wanted the thrill of the chase, and then he would leave Ed for someone else once he got him? Not that Ed was opposed to one night of fun, usually. But not when it was this complicated. They were working together. They had history. Friendship. If they crossed that line… it would all be in jeopardy. Ed would lose his job, even though he does not like it too much to begin with, it was all he had for now. And he would lose someone he, now, could almost think about as a friend.

Movement caught his eyes, and Roy arching his eyebrow at him, suddenly closer than he’d remembered, made him stop that train of thought. Ed moved slightly in his place, creating a few more inches of distance again. The ice cream was already all melted and dripping over his hand, and he really wished he didn’t say yes to that ice cream now. Or at least to have some napkins. “I mean…” he frowned at his own messy hand, then looked around for a place to throw the damn thing away. Liquid ice cream was just disgusting. “I’m your subordinate. And I’m rude. And immature. And – you know – a guy.”

“You are also bright, and amusing, and not bad on the eyes. Anyone would be a fool to not find you charming.” The sudden touch on his hand made Ed look up in a start. Roy’s hand brushed against his and he took the messy cone from him. He held it away from him, then used his other hand to snap his fingers and burn it to crisp. He then reached into his pocket and handed him the handkerchief from earlier. Ed could see the small stain the previous time Roy used it to help Ed keep at least some of his dignity adorning one of the corners. Embarrassed, Ed took it and cleaned his hand, mumbling a weak thanks. He knew his cheeks were red hot – almost as if that fire also burnt his skin, and not just his unfinished ice cream cone – but he forced himself to ignore that. “I am usually quite good at knowing what others feel about me, and I have been deliberating for a while what I thought I saw in you. I am almost certain I am correct, but I might be wrong. I don’t like being wrong but I can admit when I am.” Ed glanced up, slightly confused, and saw a small smile stretched on Roy’s lips. He mirrored it, and looked away, now more embarrassed than he was before. He had a snarky reply on his lips – noting his doubt of Roy being able to admit to being wrong under any circumstances – but his bit it back. “Yes, Edward, I know it might be hard for you to believe but I can. It just doesn’t happen very often. I am not often wrong.” This drew a weak chuckle out of Ed. “But if I am, now, with you, then I want to ensure that you know you should not be under any pressure to pretend. I will not force you into anything – real – that you do not want, or not feel comfortable about. We can even end this pretence if you wish. I can pretend this conversation never happened. There will be no consequences on your side.”

Ed stayed quiet, his eyes focused on the empty road in front of him. His leg still slightly ached from the chill, but now after he rested it was not as bad as it was earlier, though all the areas of his body that were not covered by clothes were a little colder due to his lack of movement. On a certain level he understood what Roy was saying; what he was offering. But it was still so unreasonable, so far beyond his grasp of possible reality he found it hard to accept it. Even if he for a moment imagined it was – could be – real, he still was not sure how he felt about it. Everything that he told himself earlier – it was all still true. It was still complicated, no matter how he looked at it.

The real question was – did he want to risk it?

During the past few days he got a taste of what it could be like to be dating Roy. He experienced what it would be like to be flirted with by him; what it was like to share his meal with him; exchange opinions and musical taste and have in-depth discussion about more than just alchemy. And it was – an eye opening experience. He had been on dates before, but none have ever felt as natural as it felt with him. Was it enough to cross this very clear line between a work relationship, even friendship – and something _more_? Could they even be happy together, or would it die after a few days, or weeks, once the initial spark ebbs away, leaving them unable to even work together?

The memory of their first ‘date’ came back to his mind. How natural everything felt once he got over the initial embarrassment. How warm and – safe – he felt in Roy’s companionship. How much he wanted to know what it would be like to kiss his lips, especially now that he knew they were even softer than they seemed. He couldn’t help but wonder if he tasted as good as he smelled, couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be held by him. He knew that despite being stuck behind a desk most of the day, Roy was hiding a well-built figure under his extremely unflattering uniform. Was he strong enough to lift him, with his added automail weight?

Ed swallowed, feeling his cheeks burning even hotter the more his thoughts progressed. He wondered if he could blame it on the chill. He lowered his gaze to his hands, folding the handkerchief before handing it back to Roy, feeling skin brushing against skin and taking his hand back as soon as the fabric was secured in Roy’s hand, as if electrified. As soon as he let go he realized that his hand still felt sticky, so he brought his hand to his mouth to lick it clean in the absence of a wet towel, or a sink. The sweetness of the chocolate was mixed with a different flavor, slight saltiness, unfamiliar and yet not completely strange to him, and he realized it was probably the spot where Roy’s hand touched his.

“It’s alright if you want to take some time to think, or if you prefer just not to say anything and I should take that as a no. I did not mean to make you feel awkward, even though I knew it was a very possible result – “

“No,” Ed said, rubbing his fingers to try and get as much of the residue off. “I mean – yes you made me feel a bit – fine, a lot – awkward, but, no, I don’t want to forget about this conversation.” He surprised himself with his answer. “And, uh, no, you are not wrong.” He looked up, his eyes meeting Roy’s. He blinked, swallowed, and then spoke again. “I didn’t… really feel that way about you. At least, I don’t think I did. I didn’t think about you this way. But I think that I think about you this way now. I didn’t want any of it, but actually I think I kinda like spending time with you.” Ed slid his hand over the fence, getting it closer to where Roy rested his own hands.

The expression on Roy’s face changed. Worried eyebrows lowered, softening his gaze. A soft smile appeared on his lips. Ed could feel the warmth of Roy’s skin against his, at first only a brush, but then he placed his palm over Ed’s hand, hiding it away from the evening chill. “Is that so?”

Ed felt a bit embarrassed about his hand still not being completely clean, and he could feel his chest tightening with expectation. “Well, you are not as annoying as I thought you’d be.”

Roy chuckled, and those adorable lines at the sides of his eyes appeared again. He was close enough for Ed to see all the details in his features. It was even more dazzling this up close. “I am glad to hear that, I suppose.” He drew a little bit closer with each word.

“It’s the best you can get out of me, Bastard.”

“Back to ‘Bastard’ then.”

“It does fit you the best.”

Roy was now so close Ed could feel his warm breath brushing against him. He leaned his forehead against his, their lips so close they almost touched each other. “Are you sure about this? You know people will be talking, even if we just try it out for a week, or a month, or just right now. You can still walk away, I will not hold it against you.”

Ed glanced downwards, at Roy’s lips. Pink and soft, they seemed so tempting. His tongue darted out, wetting his own lips that suddenly felt too dry. He opened his mouth to take in a breath, considering this for just one more moment. Did he want to take the way out Roy offered? But no; those past few days made Ed feel more at ease than he had in very long while, and certainly much happier. At least during the times he forgot about everything else and found himself lost in the conversation he shared with Roy. No. He did not want to back away. He wanted to see what more they could be. He wanted to see how happy they could make each other without pretending, but by being real. He smiled, and placed a kiss on Roy’s lips. It was short and shy, hesitant – and he immediately knew that he wanted more, and this was no mistake. “Yes, I am sure. Let them talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I know I'm not very good with updates to say the least and I always feel that I am disappointing, but the support I receive here always helps me get over myself and do what I love the most - writing about Ed and Roy.  
> I hope the ending didn't disappoint anyone and that overall, whoever made it to here (tbh also those who didn't^^") enjoyed the ride. I know I did!  
> xoxo  
> Rei388


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